Bishop Masamba leads Mbeere into a Community of Be…
Bishop Moses Masamba Nthukah is one of the CMS-Africa Champions and his diocese one of the Communities of Best Practice. A CMS-Africa Champion is someone who has embraced the CMS-Africa message of wholistic transformation and has demonstrable outcomes in his community and area of services.
Since coming into office as Bishop 11 years ago, Bishop Masamba has embraced the CMS-Africa programmes. CMS-Africa has delivered Samaritan Strategy Trainings aka VISION Conferences, Financial Freedom for Families(F4), Women and Youth Trainings among others. In 2017 for instance, all the clergy in Mbeere Diocese were taken through the F4 training equipping them on stewardship of God given resources. “The parishes have greatly upped their giving as well as become better stewards of the resources under them and we thank CMS-Africa for teaching us financial stewardship through the F4 Programme,” attests Bishop Masamba
And so early July, CMS-Africa Communications Manager John Ndeta joined Rev. Canon Dr. Moses Bushendich on a trip to Mbeere on the invitation of Bishop Masamba. Mbeere Diocese was marking 22 years since becoming a diocese and 100 years since a CMS missionary work started church in the area.
The first missionaries to the area were send by Church Mission society starting 1910 and Bishop Masamba observes that missionaries could have visited the local community 3 years before starting of the local church. In 1919, Revd John Comley based at CMS Mission Station at Kigari in Embu was the founder of first Anglican Local Church in Mbeereland at NYANGWA village in the slopes of Kianjiru hill near Kiritiri town in MBEERE Sub County
And so 2019 marks a centenary and Bishop Moses has a dream of building Centenary Plaza in Embu town beginning this year in commemoration of the seed planted 100 years ago; has grown, multiplied and become self-sustaining. Today, the church has 178 Local Churches, 63 Parishes, 17 Deaneries and 7 Archdeaconries served by 75 Clergymen and women. Bishop Masamba initiated CLERGY MOBILITY PROGRAMME when he came to office in 2008 aimed at Provision of mobility to clergy by raising local support.
“We are glad to observe that a majority of the clergy in Mbeere diocese are now mobile; either owning a Car or Motorbike which has greatly improved their effectiveness in services to the parishioners,” says Bishop Masamba.
And so on Sunday July 7th popularly known as Saba Saba, Mbeere Diocese was showcasing its achievements over the last century.
The first item on display was a magnificent 3000-seater cathedral undergoing final touches. The cathedral that started five years ago has cost Ksh.50 million and we attested to a fulfilment of a dream as close to 2000 Anglican faithfuls drawn from Mbeere diocese thronged the new building for worship.
The Cathedral has two galleries designed for the youthful worshippers, the hall and a specially designed stage that can host over 200 clergy drawn from the 7 archdeaconries and hundreds of parishes and together with their bishop. It was indeed a beautiful sight to behold in spite of the fact that the cathedral which has been funded locally is not yet fully complete. That Sunday alone, the worshipers managed to raise close to Ksh 4 Million in cash toward the completion of the finishing’s as well as equipping the cathedral with plastic chairs.
What a glorious place to be and worship the all magnificent God!
The second amazing display came from a play staged by the student of ACK St Mary Magdalene High School for the Deaf Riandu. The play on the life of Queen of Esther moved the worshippers as it was rendered by the deaf students albeit with a narrator. This is the first of its kind school started in 5 years ago in Mbeere by the church under the Leadership of Bishop Masamba. St. Peter’s school of the deaf is already ranked a national school with an enrolment of over 200 students.
This is over and above the 72 ACK sponsored primary schools and 40 ACK sponsored Secondary Schools in Mbeere. “We are glad to pray for the principals of our schools who mentor our children,” said the Provost of the Cathedral Ven. Canon Stevenson Njiru Gachucha.
The third evidence of transformation in Mbeere is the Holy Trinity Vocational College that equips young people in vocational skills as well as basic theology.
The college headed by Dr. Mumo is growing rapidly with enrolments in hair dressing, catering, journalism among other basic vocational trainings which the young people of Mbeere have for long been cut off especially for those who do not qualify to join the public universities. “Education is important for the children, youth and the next generation and we are investing in the same in a big way,” says Administrative Secretary, Ven John K. Nthiga.
The forth feature of community transformation is the creating of the Young Professionals Forum under the leadership of a local missionary Rev. Timothy. This forum is putting together all the young professionals to be discipled by the church by providing an opportunity for them to interact, share opportunity as well as mentor each other in the ways of God.
The fifth transformational initiative in Mbeere revolves around Sustainable Agricultural Livelihood Innovations (SALI) Programme started in 2011 to respond to Climate Change challenges and to improve/promote agrarian livelihoods production and economy plus adaptation to climate change knowledge and relevant agrarian technology and methods. To date the Bishop, say SALI has benefited 2500 small scale farmers.
This has also closer ties with the Banking On Change Programme for economic transformation Programme started 2010 for promoting financial literacy, savings and credits. To date, a total of 487 Beneficiary groups with membership of around 8000 people who include youth, women and men.
We are very glad that Mbeere Diocese is demonstrating wholsitic community transformation; not just in spiritual matters but also in Physical, education(wisdom) and financial aspects. “These are the tenets of transformation as envisaged by CMS-Africa and we thank God that Mbeere Diocese under the able leadership of Bishop Moses is slowly but surely becoming a community of best practice. It is the place where we will be referring others to go and see how to transform a community,” says Canon Moses Bushendich, the CMS-Africa Director.
In his message to the worshiper as taken from Psalm 42 and Matthew 28, Can Moses attested to the fact that the Lord God is indeed with the believers of Mbeere for holistic transformation. He encouraged them to walk with God and he will be with them always, even to the end of age!
Since coming into office as Bishop 11 years ago, Bishop Masamba has embraced the CMS-Africa programmes. CMS-Africa has delivered Samaritan Strategy Trainings aka VISION Conferences, Financial Freedom for Families(F4), Women and Youth Trainings among others. In 2017 for instance, all the clergy in Mbeere Diocese were taken through the F4 training equipping them on stewardship of God given resources. “The parishes have greatly upped their giving as well as become better stewards of the resources under them and we thank CMS-Africa for teaching us financial stewardship through the F4 Programme,” attests Bishop Masamba
And so early July, CMS-Africa Communications Manager John Ndeta joined Rev. Canon Dr. Moses Bushendich on a trip to Mbeere on the invitation of Bishop Masamba. Mbeere Diocese was marking 22 years since becoming a diocese and 100 years since a CMS missionary work started church in the area.
The first missionaries to the area were send by Church Mission society starting 1910 and Bishop Masamba observes that missionaries could have visited the local community 3 years before starting of the local church. In 1919, Revd John Comley based at CMS Mission Station at Kigari in Embu was the founder of first Anglican Local Church in Mbeereland at NYANGWA village in the slopes of Kianjiru hill near Kiritiri town in MBEERE Sub County
And so 2019 marks a centenary and Bishop Moses has a dream of building Centenary Plaza in Embu town beginning this year in commemoration of the seed planted 100 years ago; has grown, multiplied and become self-sustaining. Today, the church has 178 Local Churches, 63 Parishes, 17 Deaneries and 7 Archdeaconries served by 75 Clergymen and women. Bishop Masamba initiated CLERGY MOBILITY PROGRAMME when he came to office in 2008 aimed at Provision of mobility to clergy by raising local support.
“We are glad to observe that a majority of the clergy in Mbeere diocese are now mobile; either owning a Car or Motorbike which has greatly improved their effectiveness in services to the parishioners,” says Bishop Masamba.
And so on Sunday July 7th popularly known as Saba Saba, Mbeere Diocese was showcasing its achievements over the last century.
The first item on display was a magnificent 3000-seater cathedral undergoing final touches. The cathedral that started five years ago has cost Ksh.50 million and we attested to a fulfilment of a dream as close to 2000 Anglican faithfuls drawn from Mbeere diocese thronged the new building for worship.
The Cathedral has two galleries designed for the youthful worshippers, the hall and a specially designed stage that can host over 200 clergy drawn from the 7 archdeaconries and hundreds of parishes and together with their bishop. It was indeed a beautiful sight to behold in spite of the fact that the cathedral which has been funded locally is not yet fully complete. That Sunday alone, the worshipers managed to raise close to Ksh 4 Million in cash toward the completion of the finishing’s as well as equipping the cathedral with plastic chairs.
What a glorious place to be and worship the all magnificent God!
The second amazing display came from a play staged by the student of ACK St Mary Magdalene High School for the Deaf Riandu. The play on the life of Queen of Esther moved the worshippers as it was rendered by the deaf students albeit with a narrator. This is the first of its kind school started in 5 years ago in Mbeere by the church under the Leadership of Bishop Masamba. St. Peter’s school of the deaf is already ranked a national school with an enrolment of over 200 students.
This is over and above the 72 ACK sponsored primary schools and 40 ACK sponsored Secondary Schools in Mbeere. “We are glad to pray for the principals of our schools who mentor our children,” said the Provost of the Cathedral Ven. Canon Stevenson Njiru Gachucha.
The third evidence of transformation in Mbeere is the Holy Trinity Vocational College that equips young people in vocational skills as well as basic theology.
The college headed by Dr. Mumo is growing rapidly with enrolments in hair dressing, catering, journalism among other basic vocational trainings which the young people of Mbeere have for long been cut off especially for those who do not qualify to join the public universities. “Education is important for the children, youth and the next generation and we are investing in the same in a big way,” says Administrative Secretary, Ven John K. Nthiga.
The forth feature of community transformation is the creating of the Young Professionals Forum under the leadership of a local missionary Rev. Timothy. This forum is putting together all the young professionals to be discipled by the church by providing an opportunity for them to interact, share opportunity as well as mentor each other in the ways of God.
This has also closer ties with the Banking On Change Programme for economic transformation Programme started 2010 for promoting financial literacy, savings and credits. To date, a total of 487 Beneficiary groups with membership of around 8000 people who include youth, women and men.
We are very glad that Mbeere Diocese is demonstrating wholsitic community transformation; not just in spiritual matters but also in Physical, education(wisdom) and financial aspects. “These are the tenets of transformation as envisaged by CMS-Africa and we thank God that Mbeere Diocese under the able leadership of Bishop Moses is slowly but surely becoming a community of best practice. It is the place where we will be referring others to go and see how to transform a community,” says Canon Moses Bushendich, the CMS-Africa Director.
In his message to the worshiper as taken from Psalm 42 and Matthew 28, Can Moses attested to the fact that the Lord God is indeed with the believers of Mbeere for holistic transformation. He encouraged them to walk with God and he will be with them always, even to the end of age!